Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-22

anu ulTly NOW. ut uEc I'LL uQ
and the half stained stairs leading
to the presidents office show out in all
their naked uglincss. There is carpet on
the east room, but the halls above are COW
cred with mating which looks as though
1t might have been taken from NOah's
ark, and which has evidently been used
since the days of Lincoln. Col Lamont's
Office is covered with mating and the
red, green and blue rooms have the same
kind of floor furnishing. There has been
a number of changes in the men around
the throne. Col. Dnsmore, the tall blue
eyed Hercules, who ed as the presidents
chief body guard, has been replaced by a
gcntlemanly bright eyed, light haired,
sandy mustachcd man from Troy.
He promises TO be fully as efficient
as Dinsmore and he has an eye which
looks right through every man who enters
the portals of the executive mansion. He
has had experience for years as chief Of
the police at Troy, and has dealt with
some of the wo~st characters. He
is not rs tall as DinsI1ore, but he looks
tough and wiry and his muscles arc said
to be of iron. 1t will be his duty to take
charge of the messenger service of the
White House. He will control the door
keepers, will introduce strangers to the
president and will see that no Guiteau
slips by unnoticed. lie is to be the
watch dog of the White House, and he
will hold one of the most responsible po-
sitions in it. His Office is at the same
time delicate one. lie has to deal with
Mrs. Cleveland's receptions, as well as
those of the president, and he will intro
duce the leading ladies of the land as well
as its most noted mon.
This appointment completes an almost
entire change in the personnel of the
officers Of the White House who serve on
the ground floor. Those of the second
floor have been generally retained, and the
most responsible positions are occupied by
men who have been in the service for
years. Col. Crook, who has been cashier
of the executive mansion since the days
Of Lincoln, has still charge of the safe and
pays the bills. Mr.. Pruden, the exccu-
tive clerk, holds the Same position here
he has held in the past, and Mr.. Henley
is assistant private secretary to Col. La
mont as he was to President Arthur.
If Dickens fat boy had been colorel he
would have looked very much like Col.
Lamont's doorkeepcr, Arthur, who has
been in the White House for @ quarter of
century, and another old stager is Scrgt.
Loefilcr on the came floor, who came
from being messenger to Secretary
Stanton, when he was Johnson's secre-
tary OF war, to take the place of special
messenger to tho president. Sergt Lcoff
Ter is young looking man with iron gray
hair. lie takes the cards of visitors in to
the president, and brings out the answers
rs to whether the president will receive
| them. He has q little desk seated be-
| tween the two doors which lead to the
| presidents apartments, aud he sits at this
! during the whole time that the president
is in his private office.
Arthur, the fat colored man whom I
spoke of above, has rather handsome
face, which is a cross betwAcn that of
solemnity and fun He is universally
polite, and he pens the door to visitors
with a grand flourish, cautiously discrimi-
Mating as to who should stay out. Arthur
was the White House butler when John
son was president, and he thinks that An
drew johnson was one of the greatest
presidents this country has ever known.
He says President johnson had u mind OF
his own, and tells how, one morning
when the president was eating SOM
hot corn bread, OF which he Wa.
very fond, Col. Moore. his private sec
rotary, came in and said that re thought
congress would impeach him. "Prcsiden
johnson finished eating his bit of corr
bread and he then raised his hand anC
brought it down hard on the dining table
They may impeach and be DID, HI
said, and he wasn't afraid of them eiSler
Mr. johnson wasn't afraid of no man
and it is a lie when they say re was sting!
and drunken. He liked good liquors bu
he did not drink too much, and he wa
especially fond of sherry. guess ! re
member his sherry mighty we'll" Arthu
went on, smacking his lips. Pale sherry
Have you ever drunk it? and Mistal
Johnson always had the best. ] had thu
keys Of the pantry and I served all III
wines. | remember once we got case o
so of Scuppernong wine from North Caro-
lima. 1t was u present to the president
brought him in some one day. He taste
it, and then handed the glass back to me
saying: Arthur, that wine is from Nortl
! Carolina md you are from North Caro-
lima | Guess that Wine will suit yol
better than it does me, and you may tax
it, l cartcd these two dozen bottle
home that night, and let me tell you tina
Scupperaoug wine is good.
| still they say President johnson wa
/ stiugy. lie fed eighteen head of men NJ
the time he was in the White House, an
: the servants all ate here, and he paid tn
bills out of his own pocket | remembc
the time when they were trying to &c
Stanton out of the war departl ant W
and every cabinet meeting | would nav
to bring i'll a lunch, n part of which wa
always some Of this pale sherry. Yol re
5 member Stanton shut himself up n IL
war department, and he wouldn't let an
, of Johnson's appointecs get r:e ess:n:
, l remember how old MIR. Thomas, wnc
he was appointed secretary Of war, was 60
1 out CT Stanton's Office by him. O,d cu
? Thomas liked good whisky. lie EGo &C
into the Office Of the secretary of war an
stanton wanted to get him out. lie aske
! him ii he wouldn't like to have drink
= lie told him he had good bottle acros
tho hall. When he got him there h
5 quietly slipped back before Thomas knc,
5 what lie was about and locked tho door.
, | have no doubt that johnson srcu
5 all of his salary while he IVES in the Whit
House. lie was very honest, aud l.
would not take any presents. Thu rlkad
: Of Japan sent several boxes CT fiac silk
to him. They were brought 10 tie cas
: room aud opened, end Mrs. Patterson wa
locking over them wien the prcsideI
came down and said: ''Ycu r.ust sen
those dresses right back totho interior az
p1rtucnt We have 10 right to item an
we cant take them"